As the functionality in small mobile communication devices has increased, a demand for an increased functionality of user interfaces for these mobile communication devices has also increased. Users of these small mobile communication devices want the same functionality that is provided in non-mobile devices such as their personal computer. However, with the smaller screens that are pervasive in mobile communication devices, it has become increasingly more difficult to provide similar functionality.
Some systems have attempted to address this issue. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0158170 discloses a system that can provide multiple events based on a person touching/tapping an area on the screen with their fingernail versus tapping on the area with their skin. The system can detect different properties of the skin versus the properties of the fingernail. This system also discloses using a sleeve so that the system can distinguish between the sleeve and the skin of a person to generate multiple events when an area of the screen is touched using the sleeve.
The problem with this system is that it does not use prints of body parts such as fingerprints or different properties in the sleeve to detect a rolling motion of a body part such as a finger. Being able to detect a rolling motion of a body part such as a finger allows different types of events to be generated to provide some of the increased functionality that users are demanding from these mobile communication devices.